An estimated 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes, and its prevalence is rising. Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness and vision problems. Diabetic keratopathy, which occurs in about half to two-thirds of people with diabetes, is a condition that produces chronic injury and damage to the cornea, the clear outer part of the eye. This project will involve further development and safety studies of ACT1, a potential therapeutic compound for diabetic keratopathy. ACT1 enhances wound healing by blocking the action of a protein that promotes injury signals. In addition to diabetic keratopathy, ACT1 could be used to treat cornea injuries due to military activities or eye surgery. The team is collaborating on the completion of the following studies: - Formulation development - Pharmacokinetic/absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (PK/ADME) studies - Investigational New Drug (IND)-directed toxicology